Molding composition



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'No Drawing; Application Au ust 57, 1942, Serial No. 456,363

10 Claims. (01. 18 47) PatentedManZO, 194 5 V I l i The present invention relates particularly to an penetrations of resin into the plaster introduce improved molding composition whereby finished serious difliculties and they are hard and somemolded articles may be obtained with a reduced times impossible to remove without ruining the amount of labor and with a highly satisfactory case. It is for this reason that tin toiling is quite surface finish. i I 5 generally resorted to as a protective coating .More specifically, my invention relates to an against which the resin is pressed and cured. The improved molding composition for use in processtin foiling is usually carried out by pressing the ing objects-made from synthetic resin com'posifoil onto the wax or the case, being sometimes tions, such as methylmethacrylate, which is cured cemented to the wax and being'burnished to inapplication in the molding art.

by hot water at temperatures up to the boiling sure a close and true application with a continupoint of water. ously smooth surface as is familiar to those skilled The present invention isof particular advanin tbis art. Then the top of the flask is putin tage in the form of a dental investment. cemposi-' place, the investment is poured therein and the tion for use in making of dentures having a thercover put on. When the investment i properly.

moplastic or thermo-setting resinousbase, and 5 set, the flask is then heated by means of hot the invention will accordingly be described more water to aid in the separation. The flask case is in detail in connection with the manufacture of then washed out to remove residues of wax by dentures, although the composition is of general means of hot water. The foil is then left aflixed I to the investment in the upper part of, the flask. In thepreparationof dentures, it is customary In place of foiling, there is sometimes .used "a' to make a trial base out of a fusible wax compoe separator in the form of a solution of sodium sition or to use a shellac base plate upon which silicate or of cellulose acetate. The separator is there are set the teeth and other appurtenances painted on the investment after the removal of -for the denture with theaid of dental wax. This the wax mold. This separator, however, is not positive of the patients gum with the teeth very eflicient and great care must be exercised anchored therein is known as the case and I- to keep it away from the pins and necks of the shall refer to it hereinafter by such name. teeth and from other attachments that are to be f the case is of the type that is known as a V embedded in the final case. This careful treatmetal base with acrylic or other resin attachment consumes much time and is objectionable ment, it is common to use wax to attach the teeth also because of the danger that the separating thereto until they can be tried in, and then material may get onto the said forbidden portions transferred to vthe investment ,for the finishing of the caseand thereby create the likelihood that with the selected material. Whatever the method; .the covered object will work loose from the den-' employed for making the case, wax is used in the tale by reason of' such intervenin film of sep'-. setting up" ofthe denture. arator. Also, there is the danger of touching When the case is ready for processing, it is teeth and other parts so that the tendency is notf usually put in the lower half or drag of the flask. to apply the separator too close to such parts, par- Following'this, it is customary to cover the wax ticularly at the proximal contactot the teeth; as

or wax and shellac surfaces with'tin foil prior a result, there 'is left uncoated plaster at these t0 th P ring of the investment. T i I 40 points'which usuallypermits embedding or pene- The tin-roiling of the wax model is objectiontration of resin with resulting loss of time in atable not only because of the scarcity of the tin tempts to remove the same. 1 s foil at the present time, but also'beoause' of the According to the present invention, there is great amount oftime consumed in its proper ap-' provided a molding composition suitable for use pl'ica'tion. Also as it is well known, the plaster as an investment material in dentistry as well of Paris which is used for the processing or in- "as in related molding fields and possessing valvesting of the case becomes much harder during uable advantages in processes involving the manthis procedure and thus whenthe case is ready ufacture of arelatively rigid mold embodying a for separation or removal from certain types of positive impression of the object to be reproduced flasks now in use quite a bit of digging is required and made, .for example, by preparing a fusible to release it. wax moldand surroundingthe same, withan ln When the processor of 'thecase does not foilit vestment material in -a suitable flask, followed before pouring the investment thereon and then by removal of the wax mold by heating and washintroduces the resin into the unfoiled mold and ing out with, hot water. The investment molding cures it, there' s a strong likelihood of blanching composition of thepresent composition is ofsuch of thecolor of the resin case together with .p'ercharacter that the need for tin foiling onthe inmeation or penetration of the resin into the plas- 'vestment *side is completely eliminated while at ter used for the investment.- These color mottles, the same timeitrue, smooth, and relatively nonor blanches made the denture unsightly and thus porous surfaces inithe 'flnal object are secured. not generally acceptable to the profession. The The new composition is "further'characterized by m ed by experiment.

2 the feature that it does not become harder when it is put through the process of hot water curing at boiling or approximately boiling temperatures. 1

These and other advantages of the invention will become clear as the description of the specific nature of the composition proceeds.

The base of my improved molding composition I is composed essentially of ordinary slow settin gypsum or plaster of Paris and to this base, I add certain substances, described more fully hereinafter, which modify its character in such a way that molding processes generally, and denture manufacture particularly, are greatly simplified and the use of special separating media such as tin or other foil, sodium silicate, cellulose acetate. and the like, is eliminated.

.To prevent penetrating adhesions and make as'rnsss waxing process or the conditions created by the boiling to effect de-waxing destroys some of the emulsifier referred to above.

The alkyl cellulose ether can be used in solution in the water usedfor mixing the plaster slurry; the emulsifier can be incorporated in similar fashion. I have found it, however, to be I more practical to incorporate the dry ingredients (the emulsifier'and the alkyl cellulose ether) directly into the powdered calcined gypsum and the mixture packaged in the dry condition. In this way, proper proportions of the ingredients will be insured and the danger of inaccurate com- 7 .pounding will be eliminated.

for ease of separation of the cured denture from the investment surrounding it, I have taken advantage of the fact that. the de-waxing process (melting out the wax) is the prime condition established before the packing with the resin can take place. This de-waxing is effected by first placing the flask with the invested case in either. hot or boiling water and leaving it long enough for the wax to melt so that the two parts'of the flask can be separated, leaving the fixed objects "and teethin the side of the case as conditions dictate. This is usually,'in the case of teeth, on the investment side. I have found thatby mthis lowest viscosity grade in the proportion of /2 to 2% to be highly satisfactory. The particular proportion employed will depend somewhat upon the proportions of the other ingredients and the type of calcined gypsum used. 1

eluding an emulsifier 0r saponifier in the plaster of Paris or calcined gypsum, the melting wax. is

caused to form a film upon the plaster surface which contains such emulsifier or saponifier. I have found further that the process of washing with hot water to eiIect removal of the residue of the wax out of the case promotes the formation of this film; This film acts as a lubricantand surface film which prevents the resin from adhering to the plaster and from penetrating into wax. This wax is not absolutely essential to the. t

, guard against careless de-waxing or too vigorous a cleaning out of the last traces of wax from the investment. The added high melting-point wax the same so that the separation or the two at their contacting surfaces is made quite easy.

I have found that alkylolamine having an emulsifying and/or saponifying action are highly suitable for the purpose of view, and among these tri-isopropanolamine to be highly satisfactory. This substituted amine can lie-incorporated in the gypsum powder in a relatively small amount and yet be highly 'efiective. While not {limiting myself to any specific amount, I have found that as little as one part of alkylolamine in 1000 parts of gypsum powder will besatisfac tory. A preferred ratio is about 1 to 440. With some grades of gypsum,.optimum results will be obtained with a somewhat higher proportion of the amine, and the best proportions can be deterwill become eflective especially when, by some i It sometimes happens that under practical conditions .of-de-waxing or washing out of the case. the layer or film that protects the resin. from color-lightening is not formed or not to a sufilcient degree. To prevent thisfrom occurring and thereby promote colon-stabilization, I add a small quantity of a high melting wax, such as carnauba formula, but its addition is recommended to mischance, the investment is not fully bathed in the melting wax, so that the required reaction will not take place at certain areas with the emulsifier embodied in the investment composition;

-: In such event, the high melting point wax will,

While-the emulsifier will prevent the penetration of the "resin into the investment, it-will not entirely prevent 'the blanching or serious light- -ening of the color or the resin; neither will it bring about the proper softening of the invest ment after thehot water treatment for curing the resin. Ina further development ofthe in-' 'vention, I include in th investment composition a material which will bring about color evenness.

such evenness I efl'ect by the use of a water solwhen the caseis being de-waxed and washed out,

be drawn to the surface by the hot wash water,

and the film will then be formed which prevents penetration by the resin and discoloration of the latter. The amount of carnauba or similar high melting wax is very small, say about 1 part in 1000; the amount, however, can be increased or decreased without altering essentially the character of'the composition.

To this mixture so far described, there may be added a metallic soap such as calcium .or zinc stearate. This addition appears to contribute to the results above described. It can be incorporated as a powder with the calcined gypsum and is used in proportion of approximately 1:1000.

uble alkyl cellulose ether such as methyl or ethyl cellulose. The methyl cellulose, for example, is

obtained in a finely comminuted state, and is.

mixed with the dry calcined gypsum. The alkyl cellulose ether will not only help to produce color evenness but will also help to prevent investment hardeningafter the-curing :process and will aid in preventing serious penetration whenpthe de'- 'I'ri-isopropandlajmine 0.20 to use -me to give satisfactory. results:

' The following formulas have; been found by Example 1' I i Parts Calcined gypsum 1 Water soluble methyl'cellulose (finely powdered and of the lowest viscos' I ity rating) 0.50 to 2.00

lf'carnaubaiwa'x is used, it e... be employed, in the same proportion as the tri-isom'opanolamine. amount or'total powder mix used The proportion of methyl cellulose will vary particles.

is generally about the same as is used to make any other plaster slurry for the investing of .dental objects or dentures, namely, about 100 parts of plaster mix to-60 parts of water. In mixing the slurry for the investment, it is better first to make a small amount of mix that is .Sllghtly richer than just indicated, for example about 120 parts of plaster to 60 of water. This is painted on with a brush or smeared on directly I to the wax of the mold, care being taken that no air bubbles are formed, and then the balance Example 2 I Parts calcined gypsunr 100 Water soluble methyl cellulose"--- 0.50 to 2.00 Tri-isopropanolamine 0.20 to 0.33

. Calcium stearate-.. 0.05 to 0.l

(All parts are by weight.)

The various mixtures may be produced in'thel following manner: The alkyl cellulose ether is produced in the form of fine powder and is thor oughly mixed with master the gypsum. Tri-isopropanolamine is rubbed up dry with some oi the remaining sum and ground and sifted to a fine powderymix.- Both of these preparations are then thoroughly mixed. Amv other ingredi- 1. A molding composition suitable for use as an investment in the manufacture of dentures and comprising calcined gypsum and a relatively small proportion of an alkylola-mine and wate 7 metal soap.

soluble allgvl. cellulose ether.

2. A molding composition suitable for as an 0 investment in-the manufacture of dentures and comprising calcined gypsum and a relatively small proportion of an alkylamine substance comprising short chain members of the aliphatic series andv a water soluble alkyl cellulose ether.

3. A molding composition suitable for use as an investment in the manufacture of dentures and comprising calcined gypsum and re atively small proportions of tri-isopropanola e and water soluble methyl cellulose.

4. Amolding composition suitable for useas an investment in the manufacture of dentures and comprising calcined gypsum and relatively small proportions of an' alkylolamine and a high melting pointwax.

'5. A composition as defined in claim 4, wherein the wax is carnauba wax.

6. A molding composition suitable for use as an investment in the manufacture of' dentures and comprising gypsum, and alkylolamineand a 7. .A composition as defined in claim 6, wherein the metal soap is calcium-stearate. 4

8. An investment composition for use in the manufacture of resin base dentures and characterized by the capacity for forming a protecting film on removal ofthe wax mold wherebypeneent that is used is also mixed directlywith a portion of the gypsum and is then combined with the other mixtures.

Prior to the introduction of the resin into the investment, the wax should be completely melted out and the directions of the manufacturer of the particular resln'employed should be followed. It is advisable not to use acetone or chloroform or other organic solvents to.clean oil the teeth with hot water. To remove any remaining wax,

adhering to the teeth or-other fixtures ofthe case.-it is advisable to use only a soap solution with some of the hot water, followed by a washsoapy hot water may be. used throughout for a wash, if-it is not too ing with clean hot water.

strong.

It is to be noted thatthe tri-isopropanolamine acts also as a wetting agent. and thereby. helps tration-by the resin is prevented without the intermediary of metallic orother separately applied films comprising a calcined gypsum, a relatively small proportion of a lower tri-alkylolamine, a lower water soluble alkyl cellulose ether and a high melting point wax.

. unless the latter are againthoroughly washed 9. An investment. composition for use in the manufacture of resin ibase dentures and characterized by the capacity for forming a protecting v film on removal of the wax mold whereby penetration by the resin is prevented without the intermediary of metallic or other separately applied films comprising a calcined gypsum, a relatively' small proportion of a lower tri-isopropanolamine, and a color evener for the'resin in the formation of the slurry, which might otherwise be retarded by the methyl cellulose ether It appears further that the amine prevents adhesions by operating as a film-former for the surface of the investment. The methyl cellulose ether, on the other hand, fills the pores of the investment and prevents penetration by the resin into the plaster.

I. claim: 1

amine.

the form of a lower water soluble alkyl cellulose ether.

10. An investment composition for use in the manufacture of resin base dentures and characterized by the capacity for forming a protecting film on removal of the wax mold whereby penetration by the resin is prevented without the intermediary of metallic or other separately ap-V plied film's and characterized further by the capacity forpro'tecting the resin surface against blanching, comprising approximately parts of calcined gypsum, 0.50 to, 2.00 parts of methyl cellulose and 0.20 to 0.33 part oftri-isopropanol- JACOB 1). com). 

